Dana Delany opens up about turning down ‘Sex and the City’ starring role

"Desperate Housewives" star Dana Delany turned down the role of Carrie on "Sex and the City"

Dana Delany has opened up about turning down the role of Carrie in “Sex and the City.”

The actress and multiple Emmy winner, who first hit it big as Nurse Colleen McMurphy on “China Beach,” is enjoying currently stardom again on “Desperate Housewives.”

But the “Desperate” star also passed on the role of Bree on the hit ABC show before agreeing to play newbie housewife Katherine.

Delany told the L.A. Times: “I'd hate to be thought of as the person who turns everything down,” and says she has an explanation for how she goes about choosing roles.

Turns out that the Irish-American actress was simply trying to avoid type casting.

“[‘Desperate Housewives’ creator Marc Cherry] had offered me the role of Bree, but I had just done ‘Pasadena,’ and I thought the role was too similar to that, and I don't really like to repeat myself,” she said.

“I've never ever been in this for the money. I just like to do what challenges me. Thankfully, Marc circled back. That's unusual in Hollywood. Usually when you say ‘no,’ they hold it against you for the rest of your career. I've experienced that.”

The experience Delany alludes to could be her rejection of “Sex and the City,” which she passed on for similar reasons.

“I had done a movie called ‘Live Nude Girls’ with Kim Cattrall that was somewhat similar. It was women sitting around talking about sex,” Delany said.

“[‘Sex and the City’ creator] Darren Star was a friend of mine, and he had joined up with Candace Bushnell and came up with this idea and he asked if I'd be in it. It was very much in the early stages, and I had just done ‘Nude Girls’ and ‘Exit to Eden’ and I just said to Darren, ‘I cannot do a show with “sex'”in the title.’ People will lynch me if I do one more thing about sex.”

"Desperate Housewives" star Dana Delany turned down the role of Carrie on "Sex and the City"